Dear Parents and Carers,

Welcome to Week 6 and the halfway point of Term 1. The past week has certainly thrown some challenges our way, with positive COVID cases being detected and becoming a reality for our school community to work around. A huge thank you to our wonderful families for accurately reporting positive cases and for keeping unwell students at home. We know that isolating your whole family for 7 days, has many challenged beyond the school environment but we are grateful to families for complying with the current health orders to enable our school community to make decisions that support all learners in the safest way possible.

We look forward to welcoming our Year 5/6 students back from Remote Learning on Thursday. Thank you again to our Year 5/6 parents and students for taking on Remote Learning at such short notice. We will continue to monitor student attendance over the coming weeks. Please note that we may be required to make decisions at short notice for other classes, if deemed necessary.

Parents should have received notification of the new school regulations as announced by the NSW Government last week. St Patrick’s will take on these new regulations once we have reached a safer point in our current COVID environment. Cohorting, twice weekly RATS testing and mask wearing will all cease over the next few weeks. Parents will also be welcomed back on school grounds with COVID safe practices in place. We look forward to a more relaxed return to regular school practices in the near future.

This week is a special week in the Church calendar as we begin our annual Lenten journey. Ash Wednesday Mass will be held at 7.45am in St Patrick’s Church and all parents and parishioners are welcome and encouraged to attend. The students will have their own special Ash Wednesday liturgy at school at 9.00am with Fr George administering the blessed ashes in a COVID safe format.

I will be attending the Catholic Leaders Retreat next week in Bowral. Mrs Wilson will be in charge during my absence.

Please keep in your prayers those affected by severe flooding in Northern NSW and Queensland and for the people of Ukraine. We especially pray that our world leaders will draw on compassion, strength and wisdom to guide their choices and that peace and justice remain the focus for all in our world.

Christine Baron

Principal

St Patrick, Pray for Us

Shrove Tuesday and the Burning of the Palms

Today is Shrove Tuesday, and this morning the children observed the custom of eating pancakes. Pancakes are traditionally associated with Shrove Tuesday, the day preceding Lent. In years gone by the making of pancakes were a way to use up rich foods such as eggs, milk, and sugar, before the fasting season of Lent, when we try to go without.

This morning we gathered in the amphitheatre to burn the palms that were blessed last year on Palm Sunday. These palms symbolise those that were waved as Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey to prepare for the Passover Feast.

The ashes created from the burning of the palms will be used during our Ash Wednesday Liturgy by Father, who will trace the sign of the cross on our foreheads.

Ash Wednesday – the beginning of Lent

• 
  ASH WEDNESDAY MASS will be celebrated at 7:45 am in St Patrick’s Church
• Our school community will observe Ash Wednesday with a Liturgy in the Amphitheatre at 9am.

Lent is the period of 40 days which comes before Easter in the Christian calendar. Beginning on Ash Wednesday, Lent is a season of prayer, fasting and charitable works. A time of reflection and preparation, before the celebrations of Easter.

By observing the 40 days of Lent, Christians replicate Jesus Christ's sacrifice and withdrawal into the desert for 40 days.

During the Season of Lent, the Church calls us to reflect on how we are living our daily lives.

• How am I being a voice of love and joy in my home, my community?

• How have I been at the service of God’s word each day?
• Are others able to see and experience the love and forgiveness of God through my actions?

These questions are challenging at the best of times for adults. 

For children, we discuss Lent as a time to ‘Turn Back to God.’ It is a time of Prayer, Fasting or going without and giving. Whilst prayer is something that children engage readily in, the notion of fasting and almsgiving (giving) can be a more distant and abstract concept for children to grasp.  We need to make these Lenten practices more tangible.

Hopefully the following may provide some practical ways for families to engage in the Lenten Season at home.

Prayer

• pray for a sibling or family member
• write a letter of thanks to someone you love
• pray for someone you dislike
• spend 5 minutes in quiet prayer as a family
• read a Bible story
• pray for those who have no one to pray for them

Almsgiving (Giving)

• Give to Project Compassion
• open the door for someone
• let someone go ahead of you in line
• do something anonymously for a friend or neighbour
• do a chore without being asked
• smile at three people you meet
• give someone a compliment

Fasting (go without)

• fast from screen time (tv, computer, video games, iPhone etc.)
• fast from saying anything negative or nasty
• fast from a food you really enjoy
• fast from yelling or fighting

Claiming the date: St Patrick’s Day

St Patrick’s Parish invites you to attend Mass to celebrate the feast of our Patron Saint.

When: 17^th March   Where: St Patrick’s Church  Time: 12 noon

After Mass, please join with our fellow parishioners at the Family Hotel for lunch and celebrations. Lunch will be at your own cost after ordering from the menu.

RSVP to Madeline Ryan Parish Secretary "Gundagai Parish Office" Gundagai@cg.org.au by 12^th March.

Come, celebrate and enjoy the fun.

Bring a friend or two or three.

Easter Shoebox Activity

All children will need a shoebox for our Easter Activity.  Please start to collect and keep. More information later

Kate Howe 

REC 

Western Region 

On Thursday the 24th we went to Cootamundra for our Western Region swimming carnival. 

Charlie: It was a fun day. I had a great time representing our school and I made it onto the next level. I won the senior boy age champion trophy. I was so excited I got it because it was so close with me and a kid from Temora for Champion but I got a better place then him to get the trophy. Also,  I made it on to Queanbeyan for all my swimming events and can’t wait to swim there for the first time in my swimming life. I got some really good pb’s (personal best’s) and am looking to smash them all at Queanbeyan. Sophie Graham and Emmy Gaskin were the year 5 and 6 people there and they both had a great day getting pb’s. I got 1st in 50m Butterfly. 1st in 50m backstroke. 1st in the 200 IM (Individual Medley). 2nd in the 50m Breastroke. 2nd in the 50m Freestyle. And 3rd in the 100m Open freestyle. Everyone from our school had a fun and amazing day.

Sophie: It was a great day at Cootamundra, with everyone pumped and excited. The swimmers there to represent Gundagai were Charlie Hindmarsh, Emmy and Leila Gaskin, Sophie and Eliza Graham, Riley Smith, Emma Ferguson and Molly Lott. Everyone had a great time going in the swim events. Charlie made it away in all his swimming events and got Senior Boy Age Champion. I made it away to Queanbeyan in my Backstroke and Butterfly, coming 1st and 3rd. Emmy did a great job going in all the events of the day, never giving up. Molly and Leila did great in the freestyle, Riley and Eliza did well in their 50m races and Emma did great in the free and back. It was a phenomenal day. 

Emmy:  It was really fun at Cootamundra, everyone was excited and everyone got to see their friends. I went in everything and Leila went in one race and Charlie went in all his races, Sophie did too, in fact everyone did. People did well in all these races. I got two PBs in 100 free and 50 back. Lots of people got PBs. Charlie and Sophie made it away but sadly I didn't. Molly, Eliza, Leila, Emma, Sophie and Charlie made it there was meant to be then 7 [including myself] about 12 or less. After that we were all tired and sore and a little mad because Riley and I got DQed (Disqualified).

On Thursday 3rd of March (Week 6) we will begin our Rugby Skills Program with Rhianna Bourke SIRO Development Officer.  Kinder and Yr 1/2 will do a "get into rugby program" and the Yr 3-6 will do a mix of tackle and touch skills to prepare for the primary school 10s in Tumut on 1st of April. 

Also a reminder that the Canberra Goulburn Cricket Trials online nominations need to be in before 4th of March. Please head to the Canberra Goulburn Sport website for the link to register and all other information  www.sport.cg.catholic.edu.au/nominations 

Community Council Report

The Community Council (CC) meeting was held in week 2.

Fundraising for 2022 has begun! Please support our

The school 2021 yearbook is in production thanks to Lisa Ryan and Michelle McDonnell. Hopefully it will be ready to purchase soon.

A Working Bee will be scheduled for the end of term. The garden area outside the new administration building needs to be tidied up. Every family will be included on the roster so please email the CC with your availability and what days/times you prefer. Working bee times can be staggered and can include after school or weekends. Also please let us know if you would like to donate plants or garden supplies.

Another position on the CC has opened up. Please email the CC if you are interested in nominating. It is a great way to contribute to the school.

Kate Graham

Secretary, Community Council

communitycouncil.stpats@gmail.com

As announced last week, new regulations will be in put into place over the coming weeks. St Patrick’s have delayed the introduction of these regulations by a week to ensure we have come come through the peak of the positive COVID cases currently affecting our school. If this is not the case, we may continue to delay the reintroduction of the new regulations until Week 8.  Therefore, from Monday 7^th March the following regulations have been changed: 

1. RAT kits will only be used for symptomatic symptoms. A further 8 tests will be provided per student. These RAT kits will be sent home to families on Friday 4th March 
2. Student cohorting will cease.
3. Visitors will be allowed back on site.
4. Staff will not be required to wear masks while indoors.
5. Workers and volunteers on school site must be fully vaccinated.

For any students that are isolating at home or are not too unwell, the following learning links have been provided. There is still an expectation that students will engage in learning when not in attendance at school, unless they are unwell. You can access learning activities promoted by NSW Dept of Education here. Further support from Catholic Education are also available by following these links:

• Parent Support – Remote Learning Resources
• K-2 Learning Grid 1
• K-2 Learning Grid 2
• K-2 Learning Grid 3
• 3-6 Learning Grid 1
• 3-6 Learning Grid 2
• 3-6 Learning Grid 3

This Friday at 9am we will celebrate our special student award day. Student of the Month Awards, Principal Awards as well as the weekly student awards will be presented at the assembly. Parents will be notified by email if their child is receiving one of the awards.

Congratulations to our Week 3, Week 4 and Week 5 Students who received their class awards. 

Week 3 - 11th February 

Kindergarten : Toby Nicholls for a fantastic and energetic start to Kinder 

Yr 1 / 2 - Zoe Morgan for a wonderful start to a new school year and showing leadership and responsibility

Yr 3 / 4 - Molly Lott for her wonderful effort in all class learning and activities

Yr 5 / 6 - Abigail Bock for a great insight and discussion of "Blueback" class novel

Week 4 - 18th February 

Kindergarten - Clancy Smart for always showing care and concern for others 

Yr 1 / 2 - Jimmy Robinson for participating in all class tasks and producing quality work

Yr 3 / 4 - Chase Robinson for a wonderful start in Yr 4 

Yr 5 /6 - Sophie Graham for her positive energy and enthusiastic in all class learning activities

Week 5 - 25th February

Kindergarten - Lance Crowe for excellent class participation

Yr 1 / 2 - Mackenzie Little for increased participation in class discussion and "having a go" at all tasks

Yr 3 /4 - Harry Peterson for his participation in all learning areas especially Maths

Yr 5 / 6 - Remote Learning 

Year 6 Radio Weekly News

Tune into "Sounds of the Mountains" radio station either FM96.3 or FM94.1 every Wednesday afternoon at 2.15pm to hear about up coming events, weekly awards or around the school news which is presented by our Yr 6 school leaders

Week 10 - Tahlia Rose & Akacia Winchester

Week 11 - Anson Chew & Charlie Hindmarsh 

Thank you to our wonderful canteen volunteers and cooks. We appreciate all that you do for our school and in particular making sure all of our little ones have a delicious recess and lunch every Friday.  As previously advised canteen will be held on THURSDAY this week therefore no online orders.  Simply fill out the order form that was sent home and return to school by Wednesday 16th March.  

Canteen Roster: 

Roster: 

Friday 25th March - Lauren Gailey & Cal Reardon  

COOKIES: El Williams & Simone Jones 

Friday 1st April - Kate Graham & Alicia Hargreaves

COOKIES: Michelle McDonnell & Sam Johnson 

We would like to wish the following students a Happy Birthday wish.  We hope you all had a lovely day celebrating your birthday:

26th February - Billy Eccleston 

26th February - Charlie Brown

1st March - Parker Melksham 

1st March - Jack Ryan